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The Jumping Broom Wedding Tradition

jumping_broomIf you’re looking for a way to make your wedding more meaningful, why not jump the broom in your ceremony? Once reserved for African and Middle European cultures, this elegant and intriguing wedding ritual is making a comeback in modern-day U.S. wedding ceremonies.

So, what’s the meaning behind jumping the broom”? In African wedding ceremonies during the 1600’s, couples often jumped across sticks or imaginary lines as a symbolic representation of leaping into a new life together. Before slaves could legally marry, they created their own traditions and rituals to signify their union, and modified the African stick jumping ritual to what’s known today as jumping the broom.” Though many cultures, including Welsh, Druid, and Celt, have similar rituals with slightly different meanings, the underlying message is unity.

Here are a few additional meanings behind this symbolic ritual:
– When jumping the broom, the bride and groom leave their individual selves behind
– Jumping together brings prosperity and fertility
– Leaping forward represents taking a place in the community as a couple

Though brooms weren’t jumped in Middle European cultures, they played an important role in wedding ceremonies as well. Here, wise women would sweep the path for the couple as they left the wedding site, removing obstacles and clearing the way for prosperity, fertility, and happiness.

Broom ceremonies have grown in popularity by leaps and bounds, so much so that you can even purchase fully decorated wedding brooms for your ceremony. Rather than purchase a pre-made broom, why not make your own? To make, simply embellish a broom with ribbon, dried or silk flowers, lace, or anything else you can think up! You could tie in the rest of your wedding by decorating miniature brooms with small flowers and other decorations to pass out as favors to commemorate your special day. Enjoy jumping the broom, and leaping into your new life together.

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Hemp Bracelet Closures

hemp_bracelet_closure
If you’ve ever had to resort to drastic measures to get a favorite hemp bracelet off your wrist, you’ll appreciate learning a few closure techniques. While making closures takes a little more time and effort, you’ll be rewarded when you can slip your beloved bracelets off and on with ease. Let’s take a look at a few hemp bracelet closure techniques:

Sliding Switch Knot Closure
With a sliding switch knot closure, the knot slides up and down to tighten and loosen the loop around a bead, button, or knot on the other end.

1. Start your bracelet with 2 lengths of cord, folding one of the lengths in half. Lay the folded length atop the second length, leaving it unfolded. The folded length will be the base, and the crosswise cord will be the knotter.
2. Use the crosswise length to make a series of square knots (two to four), and then test by sliding the knots up and down the base cords.
3. To take the bracelet off, slide the knot back to loosen the loop and slip over the button or bead on the other end; to close, slip the loop over the button and move the knot forward to tighten.

Bead or Button Closures
As functional as they are beautiful, bead and button closures are a cinch to add to any hemp bracelet.

1. Start your jewelry piece off with a looped end that will be big enough to slip over the button or bead.
2. When your piece reaches the desired length, slip a bead or shank-style button through all four lengths of cord. If the hole isn’t large enough to fit all four lengths, snip off one or two cords and then hold the snipped strands in place with a dab of glue.
3. Slide the bead or button onto the remaining cords and secure with an overhand knot.

Now that you’ve mastered a few closure techniques, it will be a breeze to mix and match the pieces in your expanding hemp jewelry collection. Enjoy putting on, and taking off, your favorite pieces with ease.

Photo Credit: Run For RY

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